Quality ID

NQF

High Priority Measure

Specifications

Measure Type

Registry Link

Specialty

CardiologyFamily MedicineInternal Medicine

Measure description

Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter who were prescribed warfarin OR another FDA-approved anticoagulant drug for the prevention of thromboembolism during the measurement period

Instructions

This measure is to be submitted a minimum of once per performance period for patients with nonvalvular AF or atrial flutter seen during the performance period. This measure may be submitted by eligible clinicians who perform the quality actions described in the measure based on the services provided and the measure-specific denominator coding.

Measure Submission:

The listed denominator criteria is used to identify the intended patient population. The numerator options included in this specification are used to submit the quality actions allowed by the measure. The quality-data codes listed do not need to be submitted for registry-based submissions; however, these codes may be submitted for those registries that utilize claims data.

Denominator

All patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of nonvalvular AF or atrial flutter who do not have a documented CHA2DS2-VASc risk score of 0 or 1

DENOMINATOR NOTE: The intent of the denominator exclusion G9931 is to allow patients with a low risk for a thromboembolic event (i.e. a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0 or 1) to be excluded from the sample. This denominator exclusion serves as documentation that a patient’s risk for a thromboembolic event was appropriately assessed using the CHA2 DS2-VASc scoring tool and that the risk was low enough to not warrant anticoagulation treatment. In order to exclude low risk patients, eligible clinicians must use the CHA2DS2-VASc assessment tool to determine a patient’s risk score and must document either the numeric score (i.e. 0 or 1) or all the individual risk factors assessed to support an assessment of the CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Definition:

Comfort Care Only - Refers to medical treatment of a dying person where the natural dying process is permitted to occur while assuring maximum comfort. It includes attention to the psychological and spiritual needs of the patient and support for both the dying patient and the patient's family. Comfort Measures Only is commonly referred to as "comfort care” by the general public. It may be completed in an inpatient, outpatient or home environment. Comfort Measures Only includes hospice, palliative and supportive treatment for patients who are suffering from a terminal illness—e.g., AIDS, cancer—or who have refused life-sustaining treatment. In order to use G9930, a patient must be on comfort care measures only and not be receiving any other types of care. It is not equivalent to a physician order to withhold emergency resuscitative measures such as Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)

Denominator Exception: Documentation of patient reason(s) for not prescribing warfarin OR another FDA-approved oral anticoagulant that is FDA-approved for the prevention of thromboembolism (e.g., patient choice of having atrial appendage device placed) (G8969)

OR

Denominator Exception: Documentation of system reason(s) for not prescribing warfarin OR another FDA-approved anticoagulation due to patient being currently enrolled in a clinical trial related to AF/atrial flutter treatment (G9927)

OR

Performance Not Met: Warfarin OR another FDA-approved anticoagulant not prescribed, reason not given (G9928)